are based at 627 Dumbarton Road, Dalmuir, Clydebank G81 4ET. We have 748 members. Normal Group Activities include, Knit + Natter, We Care We Share (Carers Group), Loss of Mobility Support Group, Jewellery Group, Focus Groups, Autism Support and Discussion. Welfare Rights, Disability Rights, Legal Advice, Debt Advice, Energy Advice, Blue Badges, Disabled Bus Passes. We provide all supports for all disabilities/ long term conditions and age groups. We are delivering one to one tutoring in various subjects to help give young kids a better chance at doing well in their subjects at school and to have the same chances of successful employment when they leave  This service is aimed at any young person at school age, for those who are still at school and those who have left school early and feel that there is nothing on offer for them, we want to show them that they can still complete their education and have the same chances at a bright future and career, by getting further education without the pressure of a classroom environment, and in privacy away from any distractions

We are a Youth Football team based in Clydebank, part of the Clydebank FC set up. We have 19 boys who currently play with the team and 3 coaches.  We train two nights a week and play games on a Saturday.  We have been together since the boys were 5 years old and are now in our 9th year together as a team.  We will use this money in the current climate and cost of living crisis we will cover the monthly fees that the families have to pay each month to the club £30 each player. As we have 19 boys this will cover 9 months of fees.  This will benefit the families and boys in the team.

In this club 8-16 year olds will learn in a fun space filled with cutting edge technology. Sometimes they will be working with visiting experts.  We’ll be offering youngsters in the area chance to learn new and exciting tech skills. We’re keen to start up a 3D printing club - but with much more to it. 8-16 yr olds in West Dunbartonshire will benefit from this project.

Sessions at the horticulture project at Knowetop form part of the recovery programme offered by Alternatives to clients in its community-based and residential programmes. Our Into Nature programme of afterschool and school holiday sessions, runs from March to October and there is a range of outdoor activities, storytelling, and nature inspired art and crafts. We also work with schools, and to date 108 children from the 2 local primaries have taken part in our schools programme. This funding will be used to develop and deliver a programme of outdoor activities at Knowetop for 11 to 18 year olds, providing young people with opportunities to experience nature and take part in workshops to learn new practical skills. This project is aimed at young people between 11 and 18 years old from anywhere across West Dunbartonshire. Our programme to date has focused more on younger children, and we’ve identified a gap in our provision for this age group.

The WW2 Dunkirk little ship, the Skylark IX’s story of hope and resilience is what inspires all of our Community Engagement activity, alongside the people we work with. Weekly, five adults in recovery and one retired community member participate in our boatbuilding programme based in the Denny Tank Museum, Dumbarton.  We also have 14 members of the community who engage weekly in our textile group based in the Lennox Evangelical Church. Over the past few years we have continued to engage with young people in schools and local community centres, as well as running our own youth sessions outside, locally, all around West Dunbartonshire.  Our regular Community Engagement activities helps to reduce social isolation, and creates opportunities for skills building in a meaningful, inclusive, therapeutic and collaborative way, developing our Skylark IX Crew Culture, which makes everyone involved feel a part of something for their collective or individual goals and aspirations.   We intend to have Skylark IX Rowing School Summer sessions running twice weekly for 6 weeks through July and August 2023, specifically targeting young people ranging from ages 12-25. These sessions will be based out at Balloch on Loch Lomond and the River Leven at our base by the Maid of the Loch. We will utilise funding to bring in support and expertise from partnering organisations such as Royal West Amateur Rowing Club, alongside our own team of trained volunteers from our current programmes/rowing school members and employ a sessional youth worker to support the logistics and operational support of the project engaging with the young people too.  We will purchase any necessary extra water safety equipment (i.e. life jackets) and buy materials for our boatbuilders to produce smaller oars. We will also utilise a bit of contingency for any other potential amendments to our wooden boats or adjustments that may need to be resolved in the workshop, to ensure our boats are fully accessible for any young person wishing to be participate. This will be a free activity for young people, where they will be supported with safe travel where required, to and from our sessions, and we will help tackle holiday hunger by providing ample amounts of healthy breakfasts, lunches, water and snacks for all involved.  We will also purchase Crew T-shirts and beanies to gift to the young people involved, to evoke further becoming part of "The Skylark IX Crew".